Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama unveiled plans Wednesday to open large swaths U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling - a move that could please the energy industry but upset the administration's environmental supporters.

The administration plan would include lifting a 20-year ban on drilling off the Virginia coastline, while putting the clamps on sites that had been approved off the southwest coast of Alaska.

soundoff(61 Responses)

sifto77

He will get a lot of support on the right for this one! Drill, Bambi, drill! He is finally waking up to reality!

March 31, 2010 01:21 pm at 1:21 pm |

SLM

I am sure Obama will find a way to spin this as his idea, although we all know this is directly from Palin........Drill, baby drill. He will have Republican support on this issue.........but the Democrats will be squirming.

March 31, 2010 01:27 pm at 1:27 pm |

gt

very good .. its taken to long,,, good job mr president

March 31, 2010 01:29 pm at 1:29 pm |

JoJo

I bet the price of gasoline will go up just to pay for that.

March 31, 2010 01:35 pm at 1:35 pm |

Angus McDugan

Obama is taking advice from Palin!!!!!!!!

He is such a joke.

March 31, 2010 01:43 pm at 1:43 pm |

Fitz in Texas

So he wasn't for it when he was campaigning, but now he is...Hmmmmm, seems as if he is waking up to the fact that many seats will be lost in 2010 so he's tossing out a few bones to keep the dogs happy.

March 31, 2010 01:48 pm at 1:48 pm |

leon

so as usual Obama has changed again the position he supported during his primary and presidential campaign he is like a reptile that has the potential to change colors as he whishes to make his ultimate goal of reaching and mantaining power. He does not act based on principles and values but on his political ambitions.

What a politician we elected. Our country is more divided than ever or at leaast in the last 40 tears

March 31, 2010 01:49 pm at 1:49 pm |

Larry

This is another feather in the cap of our President and should have been done years ago to get us off foreign imported oil.

It won't, however, have any impact on the price we pay at the pump. That's all supply and demand.

The only way to get the price down is stop using it.

KEEP GOING GREEN AMERICA!

March 31, 2010 02:07 pm at 2:07 pm |

BURNS NEW HAMPSHIRE

I am pleased of this decision to drill on our own resourses and am at the same time why it has taken so long to realize it will save us from
buying from abroad. I hope we have refinery assets on the east coast,
if not and we ship to the gulf or california we will have to pay more in the long run. However it will stimulate our own economy,but at little savings if any at the pump for any of us. I still feel we need to be
self suffient with regards to any and all things and less dependant
on others for our basics.

March 31, 2010 02:11 pm at 2:11 pm |

Proud member of Global Zero

Supporter of the President...except on this one. I hope not one lease goes to Exxon. Just passed the Exxon Valdez disaster anniversary last week. More money was spent by Exxon to defend its actions than was awarded to the middle class families in Alaska. Shame on you.